Why not focus on seeing one another ablaze with the light of Divine glory?

This past weekend, we held a memorial service for my cousin, who passed away at age 58 of ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease). Following his family's wishes, the occasion was more a celebration of Kevin's life than a mourning. As each person took turns speaking during the service, we all focused on Kevin's wonderful qualities, including his capacity to be both a trickster and an encourager of the gifts of others. During the funeral, I got to thinking: we rightfully focus on the BEST traits of a person at a memorial service. At that time, we see them ablaze with the light of Divine glory. Why then do we not take the same approach toward others WHILE THEY ARE STILL LIVING? Why do we so often wait until they leave us to compliment them as they were at their best? It seems to me that when others tell us the things they APPRECIATE about us, we rise to the occasion and begin to embody those traits more fully. Since that memorial service, I've found myself intensifying the desire to compliment others and to make sure they know how special they are. Why else are we here on this earth, if not to reveal and highlight each other's sacredness?

Photo: The sun shines through a recently deceased Lodgepole Pine; West Thumb Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park, WY; August 31, 2013